Liberty Warriors prepare for attack Published July 13, 2006 By Senior Airman Eric Donner 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- The 48th Fighter Wing spent the week training for almost any situation that could arise during peace or war including vehicle accidents and chemical attacks. Airmen with office jobs to crew chiefs, who prepare aircraft for missions, suited up for the training. Exercises provide a realistic contingency environment to familiarize operation forces with the capabilities needed to execute a mission. The exercise also fulfilled a requirement for RAF Lakenheath chemical warfare trainingg this year. "This exercise lets us meet our annual chemical warfare requirements with a 48-hour chemical warfare exercise," said Master Sgt. Brad Bliss, 48th Fighter Wing plans and programs. During the exercise, Liberty Warriors tested their ability to respond to different scenariors without prior warning of where, what or when. Airmen who participated in the exercise wore mission oriented protective posture gear for several hours at a time. However, the exercise also focused on other situations that servicemembers may run into during in a career including mass casualties. "Mass casualty exercises judge the response time of the emergency crew and medical staff here," said Sergeant Bliss. 48th Security Forces Squadron also had an opportunity to test their skills and work with their civilian British counterparts. During the exercise, security forces and the British constables responded to a terrorist occupation of a building on RAF Lakenheath, which helps the two departments understand how each react to the same situation. At the conclusion of the exercise, the building was stormed and the terror suspects neutralized. "The exercise knocked off the dust," said Sergeant Bliss. 48th FW plans and programs will compile the results of the exercise into a report, which they will brief to senior leadership with an overall performance grade.